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Home › Articles › Children › No Two Alike

No Two Alike

Parents of Multiples Fight for Flexible School Placement Policies

By Alexandria Powell

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Having the same teacher, class work and social opportunities can also offer benefits during the early school years. The similarity of their experiences can make school more gratifying for multiples, even if they aren't working on the same projects or even sitting near each other, says Mascazine.

Is it ever necessary to separate? Yes, says Mascazine. In cases where same age siblings have quite different levels of ability, when one sibling's behavior is extremely disruptive to the other, when there is extreme competition between the siblings (competition that is stressful and non-productive for the siblings themselves) or when siblings have extremely different social skill development, separation should be considered.

"Some multiples will do better being separated, of course – the point is that there should not be a single policy for multiples, just as we do not treat all non-multiples the same," says Segal.

Flexibility Is Best
The wisest and most beneficial policy is the flexible policy, agrees Mascazine. "The research is overwhelmingly on the side of having a flexible policy that considers each set of multiples on their own needs and merits," he says. "Each set of multiples is really unique in their own relationship. Policies that do not consider the needs of each set of siblings will not adequately work for them and their school needs."

Julie Robinson's twins are only 18 months old. However, she became involved with twin bill legislation in Texas after learning of the struggles some other multiple birth families have faced. "With any type of change, you will find those that resist," says Robinson. "But I'm hopeful that once this change is made the legislation will benefit everyone. We simply want equality for all multiple birth children."

What to Do if You're Having Problems
  • First, says Dolan, ask for a copy of the school's written policy on multiple birth children. She says that 99.999 percent of the time, there won't be one. If there is no written policy, it will be much easier to challenge the opinion.
  • Next, talk to your children's pediatrician and preschool teachers. Health care professionals and teachers who have already been working with the children can offer unbiased insight as to what would be best for the pair.
  • If you've done all this but are still not seeing cooperation from the school, contact www.twinslegislation.com/index.html, says Dolan. They can put you in touch with the latest research on multiples in the classroom and also with people in your area who are working to establish legislation to protect multiples.


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